Russian warplanes began bombarding Syrian opposition targets in the war-torn nation’s north Wednesday, following a terse meeting at which a Russian general asked Pentagon officials to clear out of Syrian air space and was rebuffed, Fox News has learned.

A U.S. official said Russian airstrikes targeted fighters in the vicinity of Homs, located roughly 60 miles east of a Russian naval facility in Tartus, and were carried out by a “couple” of Russian bombers. The strikes hit targets in Homs and Hama, but there is no presence of ISIS in those areas, a senior U.S. defense official said. These planes are hitting areas where Free Syrian Army and other anti-Assad groups are located, the official said.

America’s latest version of eminent domain allows governments to seize property to expand the tax base. German municipalities are now seizing property to house foreign “refugees”:

Some cities and towns are also being compelled to seize empty and derelict buildings to accommodate the need. Berlin and Hamburg have already started the process of acquiring empty apartments and Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen and Tübingen have signaled they may soon follow suit. German law allows such seizures to ensure public order and safety.

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

The fact that Republican pols lied about what could be accomplished by majorities in both houses—not veto-proof or even filibuster-proof majorities—doesn’t change what can be accomplished by those majorities. Blame them for doing less than they can, not less than they promised, or blame them for lying, but don’t expect miracles.